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The Brady Campaign vs. The N.R.A. Thursday, July 03 2008

Morgan Spurlock showed us this week on 30 Days an episode on a pacifist who lobbies for gun control spending a month with a gun enthusiast. Considering the recent Supreme Court ruling of D.C. vs. Heller, the show highlighting gun control and the second amendment rights couldn’t have aired at a better time.

The subject of guns and gun control has always been a sensitive issue with Americans. Even with the Supreme court ruling, two factions battled that personified the basic crux of the trial: should we or should we not regulate the use of handguns in this country.

The group that is all for gun control in the United States is The Brady Campaign To Prevent Gun Violence. The organization was established in 1974 underneath the name The National Council to Control Handguns (NCCH). The group was created by Dr. Mark Borinsky who was a victim of gun violence. On the organization’s website, the mission statement is: "we work to enact and enforce reasonable gun laws, regulations, and public policies through grassroots activism, electing public officials who support gun laws, and increasing public awareness of gun violence." It is the leading gun control group in the United States and have made many political strides over the years to regulate the use and sale of guns of private citizens.

On the other side of the spectrum is the National Rifle Association. As the organization’s name implies, they are all about protecting their Second Amendment of the Bill of Rights that says private citizens have the right to bear and keep arms. The group was established in New York on 1871 by William Church and George Wingate as the American Rifle Association. It is considered the most recognized group that is pro-gun interests and boasts a membership of 4.1 million people.

These two juggernauts are for different interests but which shows like 30 days, ordinary citizens can see how the subject of guns affects people in our community.